The Essential Department Chair (2^nd Ed.)
A Comprehensive Desk Reference
Jossey-Bass Resources for Department Chairs Series

THE ESSENTIAL DEPARTMENT CHAIR

This second edition of the informative and influential The Essential Department Chair offers academic chairs and department heads the information they need to excel in their roles. This book is about the "how" of academic administration: for instance, how do you cultivate a potential donor for much-needed departmental resources? How do you persuade your department members to work together more harmoniously? How do you keep the people who report to you motivated and capable of seeing the big picture?

Thoroughly revised, updated, and expanded, this classic resource covers a broad spectrum of timely topics and is now truly more than a guide—it's a much-needed desk reference that tells you "everything you need to know to be a department chair." The Essential Department Chair contains information on topics such as essentials of creating a strategic plan, developing and overseeing a budget, key elements of fundraising, preparing for the role of chair, meeting the challenges of mentoring to increase productivity, and creating a more collegial atmosphere. The book also explores the chair's role in the search process, shows how to conduct a successful interview and what to do when it's time to let someone go. And the author includes suggestions for the best practices to adopt when doing an evaluation or assessment.

The Essential Department Chair, Second Edition, contains a wealth of new, realistic case studies to equip leaders in this pivotal position to excel in departmental and institutional life.

The Author xi

Introduction xiii

PART ONE The Chair’s Role and Career Path

1. In the Trenches 3

2. Preparing for the Chair’s Role 14

3. Assessing What Kind of Department Chair You Are 23

4. Serving as an Untenured Department Chair 34

5. Coexisting with a Former Chair 41

6. Creating a Career Plan 49

7. Returning to the Faculty 58

8. Seeking Higher Administrative Positions 66

9. A Scenario Analysis on the Chair’s Role and Career Path 75

PART TWO Departmental Management and Politics

10. Understanding Departmental Ethics and Politics 85

11. Chairing Small Departments 92

12. Chairing Large Departments 99

13. Setting Course Rotations and Schedules 108

14. Making Decisions 114

15. Setting Annual Themes 124

16. Creating Departmental Centers for Excellence in Teaching and Learning 132

17. A Scenario Analysis on Departmental Management and Politics 142

PART THREE The Chair’s Role in Searches, Hiring, and Firing

18. Writing Job Descriptions and Position Announcements 157

19. Understanding the Chair’s Role in the Search Process 168

20. Interviewing Candidates 176

21. Letting Someone Go 188

22. A Scenario Analysis on Hiring and Firing 196

PART FOUR Mentoring Challenges and Opportunities for Department Chairs

23. Helping Faculty Members Sharpen Their Focus 205

24. Coaching Faculty Members to Increase Productivity 211

25. Promoting a More Collegial Department 217

26. Coping with Passive-Aggressive Behavior 224

27. Resolving Chronic Complaints 231

28. Addressing Staff Conflicts 240

29. Overcoming Conflicts 247

30. A Scenario Analysis on Mentoring Challenges 257

PART FIVE The Chair’s Role in Faculty Development

31. Facilitating a Positive First-Year Faculty Experience 267

32. Coaching Faculty in Writing Effective Résumés 274

33. Creating an Effective Professional Development Plan 279

34. Creating an Effective Teaching Portfolio 290

35. Creating an Effective Course Syllabus 302

36. Promoting Creativity in Teaching and Learning 309

37. A Scenario Analysis on Faculty Development 317

PART SIX Best Practices in Evaluation and Assessment

38. Creating Written Evaluations 327

39. Conducting Oral Evaluation Sessions 337

40. Writing Letters of Recommendation 343

41. Doing Assessment Effectively 352

42. Conducting Program Reviews 364

43. Conducting Posttenure Reviews 380

44. A Scenario Analysis on Evaluation and Assessment 389

PART SEVEN Essentials of Budgeting and Planning

45. Strategic Planning 401

46. Planning a Budget 411

47. Implementing a Budget 418

48. Fundraising 425

49. Accounting for Sponsored Research 440

50. A Scenario Analysis on Strategic Budgeting and Planning 449

Epilogue: A Checklist for the Essential Department Chair 457

Index 463

THE AUTHOR

Jeffrey L. Buller is dean of the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College at Florida Atlantic University and author of The Essential Academic Dean, The Essential College Professor, and Academic Leadership Day by Day. He is widely known as a consultant, speaker, and writer about nearly every aspect of life as an academic leader.